The subject of the invention relates to a packaging system in which xe2x80x9cliquidsxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccream-like materialsxe2x80x9d may be pushed out of a cartridge that is connected to a dispensing head, as a result of the pressurised gas in the cartridge.
The dispensing head contains a valve-opening lever, and the cartridge contains a valve mechanism on its connection side, and, inside it, a product chamber and an elastic piston and pressurised gas chamber. The dispensing head and the cartridges have the same connection elements, which make it possible to quickly interchange the cartridges containing the liquid and cream-like material. The product that remains in the disconnected cartridge is stored there until it is next used.
Numerous solutions are known for the packaging and dispensing of small amounts of materials manufactured by the chemical industry. The most widely used solution for the packaging and atomisation of liquids is the conventional AEROSOL solution. At the beginning of the 1980s in the scope of the xe2x80x9cUN Environmental Protection Programxe2x80x9d the leading body of UNEP (United Nations Environmental Program) orderedxe2x80x94for the protection of the ozone layer that protects the atmosphere of our planetxe2x80x94the prohibition of FREON gas products. Taking into consideration that in that time AEROSOL products used FREON gas, the industry had to find another solution. Henceforward the similar propane butane (PB) gas was used. PB gas, as FREON gas before itxe2x80x94is used in carrier gas atomisation systems. The essence of this is that both the liquid to be sprayed out and the liquid PB gasxe2x80x94in other words the carrier gasxe2x80x94are filled into the metal container at the same time. In the container a proportion of the PB gas falls under the critical pressure and due to this it goes into the gas state and so exerts pressure on the top of the liquid and aids atomisation. While at the same time the rest of the liquid PB gas in a liquid state forms a mixture with the liquid, and on leaving the atomisation openingxe2x80x94as a result of the reduction in pressurexe2x80x94it significantly increases the quality of the atomisation. This system commonly known as an AEROSOL system, in other words: carrier gas system results in fine liquid atomisation. An advantage of this system is that the pressure in the containerxe2x80x94and due to this the quality of the atomisationxe2x80x94is continuous, because the change of state of the PB gas takes place at the permanent critical pressure. Its disadvantage is that PB gas also flows out of the nozzle, which may involve a danger of explosion in the immediate vicinity and it is unhealthy if it comes into contact with the human body. It is also important to mention that the container cannot be operated in an upside down position.
The most commonly used method of dispensing creams is the so-called xe2x80x9cpump systemxe2x80x9d. The essence of this is that the liquid cream gets into the xe2x80x9cantechamberxe2x80x9d of a push-button valve, and when the button is pushed down the ball valve at the bottom part of the antechamber closes and so the small amount of cream in the xe2x80x9cantechamberxe2x80x9d flows out, then when the push-button is released the next portion is sucked up into the xe2x80x9cantechamberxe2x80x9d. This xe2x80x9cpumpxe2x80x9d solution is also used with liquids, on the atomisation of small amounts of liquids, with a very good degree of efficiency (e.g. in the cosmetics industry). Its advantage is the repeated dispensing of small amounts. Its disadvantage is that only creams with a very low degree of thickness may be pumped out of it and that it may not be operated whilst upside down.
In the following patent descriptions are presented that related to the solution that forms the subject of the application:
Pat. No. DE 2912670 contains a spray-bottle solution, in which inside a container that forms a closed unit the liquid to be sprayed out is contained in a film pipe closed at the bottom and the upper edge of the pipe is fixed to the upper edge of the container and also to the upper closing cover, which cover also contains the atomising valve. The filling of the pressurised gas takes place at the bottom part of the container. The solution is a xe2x80x9cpressurised gasxe2x80x9d system, in which the pressurised gas exerts an indirect effect on the liquid and when the valve is opened the liquid is atomised. An advantage is that it may also be used when upside down. As the film pipe shrinks a situation may occur when the path of the liquid is blocked. Patent CH 672476 can be viewed as being the same as the invention analysed above as regards its structural form with the difference that the film sack contains cream. The operation of the device according to the patent is also similar to the previous one. On opening the valve the cream or paste-like material flow out freely. In this case the blockage due to the shrinkage of the film sack may occur more frequently.
U.S. Pat. description No. 5,065,900 contains a closed system, metal spray container which is of the xe2x80x9cpressurised gasxe2x80x9d type and the material dispensed is a liquid. Between the material to be atomised and the pressurised gas there is a piston. The pressurised gas exerts a force on the liquid indirectly through the piston and when the valve is opened the liquid inside the metal container is atomised. The advantage of the solution is that it may also be used when upside down.
Patent No. HU 182 917 contains a container solution. The liquid to be atomised is stored in a closed pipe and the pressurised gas necessary for the atomisation is contained in a cartridge connected to this. The liquid-pipe and the gas cartridge form a packaging unit, and this is placed in a xe2x80x9ccontainerxe2x80x9d, or, hi other words, an accepting device. After being placed inside the contained forms a closed unit. At the bottom of the container there is a piercing pin and by pressing it in the gas in the cartridge flows out and with the piercing of the pipe the path of the liquid becomes free. On pressing the atomisation valve the liquid is atomised due to the effect of the pressurised gas. After the liquid has been emptied only the pipe and cartridge unit needs to be replaced. The complete unit may also be operated when upside down. A disadvantage of it is that the pipe and cartridge unit may only be replaced by carrying out several movements.
Pat. description No. DE 39 13 851 contains a xe2x80x9cpumpxe2x80x9d solution which is also presented at the beginning of this description with the difference that the presented patent is suitable for the dispensing of a larger amount of cream and is of a container construction. The cream or paste-like material in the film sack that is closed at the bottom is placed in the lower sheath part of the container. The upper part containing the pump assembly is screwed onto the lower part containing the film sack. By depressing the push button on the upper structural unit the piston in the upper structural unit gets into its lower position and by releasing the push button the piston sucks up the cream-like material into the antechamber. Following this, by depressing the push button again the cream flows out of the dispensing opening. From this point on the process is repeated. When the cream has run out only the film sack filled with cream needs to be replaced. It is also suitable for the spraying of liquids, in this case the whole upper part needs to be replaced, the structural part of which now has an atomisation assembly. The packaging device may also be operated while upside down. Its disadvantage is that it is structurally made up of numerous components and so its manufacture is costly.
From the analysis of the above inventions it maybe determined that the dispensing openings of the containers are constructed in accordance with the character of the given material (liquid or cream), in other words it is not possible to dispense both liquid and cream-like material from devices of the same construction. Even with the last German patent it is only possible to spray out or dispense liquid and cream if significant structural changes are made.
Due to the disadvantages of the solutions presented the task presents itself to create a packaging system from which both xe2x80x9cliquidsxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccream-like materialsxe2x80x9d can be atomised or dispensed, that can be used in any position and, furthermore, that pushes out all of the xe2x80x9cproductxe2x80x9d in the container and that is of a simple construction.
The packaging system according tot he invention solves the task by separating the dispensing unit and the container (or cartridge) containing the xe2x80x9cproductxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cpressurised gasxe2x80x9d and so it may be ensured that both the xe2x80x9cliquidxe2x80x9d and the xe2x80x9ccream-like materialxe2x80x9d can be dispensed. Furthermore, between the xe2x80x9cproductxe2x80x9d and the pressurised gasxe2x80x9d in the container (or cartridge) there is an elastic piston, and through this the device may be operated in any position and the elastic piston is formed in such a way that the xe2x80x9cproductxe2x80x9d in the container is entirely dispensed. The packaging system is of a simple construction.
The interpretation of the collective nouns used in the description:
The recommended minimum internal pressure values for the xe2x80x9cproductsxe2x80x9d of different consistency in the cartridges:
It is practical to determine the ratio of the size of the xe2x80x9cproduct chamberxe2x80x9d and the xe2x80x9cpressurised gasxe2x80x9d chamber in the filled cartridge at 5:1. It is practical to determine the filling pressure in the cartridge while observing the recommended minimum pressure value.
The packaging system according to the invention consists of two main parts; the dispensing head and the cartridges that may be connected to it. The cartridgesxe2x80x94in the connection sidexe2x80x94have a built-in valve and its internal space contains the xe2x80x9cproductxe2x80x9d to be dispensed and the xe2x80x9cpressurised gasxe2x80x9d. The dispensing head and the cartridges have the same connection elements, where on connection the profiles fit each other and are fixed with a snap due to that the end face part of the valve house is a double cone and its surface finishes at an edge, which edge is pushed into the rubber ring inside the dispenser house, and this exerts a springing effect.
A construction form of the packaging system is when the dispensing head has a valve-opening level, and the cartridge has a valve, xe2x80x9cliquidxe2x80x9d inside it, a piston and pressurised gas, and both of them have the same connection elements. On its connection side the cartridge has a valve stem a part of which sticks outxe2x80x94which is practical to call a discharge pipexe2x80x94and in the beginning of which the spin chamber atomiser insert is clicked. On the internal end face of the spin chamber atomiser insert there are 3-4 tangentially positioned grooves, and in the middle there is an atomiser bore. On a further part of the valve stem there is a shoulder formation and it is on this that the valve-opening lever rests after connection. On a further part of the valve stem there is a xe2x80x9cOxe2x80x9d ring in a groove. After this again there is a shoulder formation with an xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d ring, and this rests in the valve seat of the valve body on closing. There are cross-directional bores or cross-directional grooves between the two xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d rings on the valve stem from which an axial gap or bore hole runs to the discharge pipe. The valve stem ends in a 90xc2x0 cone. A plastic disc spring is attached to this cone, and on the end face of this spring there are gaps and the gaps start out from the central part and the plate segments that are formed in this way exert a spring effect when the valve stem is moved axiatty. The plastic disc spring is snapped onto the seat made for it on the valve htfuse. Inside the valve house there is an axial bore hole and a valve seat formed on it which are connected to the valve stem and the xe2x80x9cOxe2x80x9d rings on the valve stem ensure the seal.
On the external cylindrical surface of the valve house there are groove formations. The cartridge house that is made, in a practical case, using the cold extraction method is connected to this section of the valve house. The cartridge house is fixed onto the valve house with burnishing and flanging after the piston has been placed and the liquid filled in the cartridge house. The piston in the cartridge house is of soft plastic and is made with a thin wall in the sealing section. In this section, on the external mantle there are two or more edge-like formations and the xe2x80x98tips of these ring edgesxe2x80x94due to the effect of the pressurised gas in the cartridgexe2x80x94stick to the internal cylinder surface of the cartridge house and ensure the appropriate seal. The filling up of the cartridge with pressurised gas takes place through the narrow bore hole in the lower part of the cartridge. After filling it is closed using a small plastic plug.
In a different construction example of the packaging system the dispensing head has a valve-opening lever, the cartridges have a valve, xe2x80x9ccream-like materialxe2x80x9d inside them, a piston and pressurised gas. In this case also the dispensing head is completely identical, as is the structural formation of the cartridge, or rather there is a slight change that results in a favourable function-effect from the point of view of the xe2x80x9ccream-like materialxe2x80x9d as compared to the xe2x80x9cliquidxe2x80x9d cartridge. Such a change is that with the depressing and releasing of the valve-opening lever a small amount of product may be dispensed from the cartridge, and if the lever is half depressed the flow of product is continuous. The dispensing of small amounts of product can be achieved by applying a shoulder formation at the 90xc2x0 part of the valve stem, which shoulderxe2x80x94when the valve-opening lever is depressedxe2x80x94hits against the internal surface of the plastic disc spring and due to this the flow path of the cream-like material is blocked. The bore hole of the valve stemxe2x80x94at the discharge pipe end is completely open, and ensures free flow. The other aspect that results in a favourable effect is that due to the lower internal pressure the cartridge house may also be made of transparent plastic and, if necessary, may be marked in xe2x80x9cmillilitres (ml)xe2x80x9d. The filling takes place in the same way, first the piston is placed in the plastic cartridge house, then the filling of the cream-like material follows, and finally, following filling with pressurised gas the filling opening is closed by plastic welding.
Another construction form of the packaging system is when it is used for xe2x80x9cfoodstuffsxe2x80x9d materials. In this case the dispensing head is in the xe2x80x9cform of a mouthxe2x80x9d and can be slipped onto the beginning of the food-cartridge easily. In this arrangement the shoulder part of the valve stem hits up against the internal surface of the dispensing head, then on the further part of the valve stem there is an xe2x80x9cOxe2x80x9d ring seal and this is followed by a slightly conical part. This conical part ensures the sealing when the valve is closed. There are bore holes in the slightly conical part which are at right angles to the axial direction and these run into a blind hole, which bore hole runs axially through the discharge pipe. In this case also the valve stem ends in a 90xc2x0 cone, the tip of which points in the direction of the food chamber. The segment plates that ensure the closing of the valve lie on the 90xc2x0 cone. The plastic disc spring is snapped onto the groove in the part of the valve house that sticks out. The valve house is connected to the transparent plastic cartridge house and afterwards it is closed using plastic welding. When it is filled first the elastic piston is fitted in then comes the foodstuff. This is followed by filling with pressurised gas and the filling opening is then closed using plastic welding.